Carmichel’s Gun Review

An accurate varmint pistol in .22 Hornet.

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Some guns are first meant to be fun. Taurus’s Raging Hornet fits into that category. Like the company’s Raging Bull, the Raging Hornet is a massive firearm with powerful locking and a distinctively contoured heavy barrel with integral ventilated rib.

Though it comes with good adjustable open sights, a scope is necessary for best accuracy. A solid one-piece scope base is included. My testing was done with a Burris 3-9X intermediate eye-relief scope. I shot at both 50 and 100 yards using Winchester’s Supreme Hornet load 34-grain bullet and handloads with 45-grain Sierra Spitzers over 13 grains of Hodgdon’s Lil’Gun propellant.

My best five-shot group at 50 yards measured a tiny .431 inches. The average groups at that distance were closer to 11/2 inches. At 100 yards, the single best group was 1.050 inches, but 21/4-inch to 21/2-inch groups were more common. (I’ve tested Hornet rifles that didn’t do as well.) Handloads produced the best 100-yard accuracy, and all group tests were fired from the fully loaded cylinder, with no attempt to fire from a single “sweet” chamber. (305-624-1115; www.taurususa.com)

Taurus
Raging Hornet

Specifications

Type: **Revolver
**Caliber:
.22 Hornet
Magazine capacity: 8
Weight: 3 lb., 2 oz.
Finish: **Matte stainless steel
**Stock:
Semisoft rubber
Barrel length: 10 in. (barrel only)
Rate of twist: 1 in 15 in.
Overall length: 161/2 in.
Length of pull: N/A
Trigger pull: **5 lb., 5 oz. average
**Bore finish grading (out of 5):
3
Suggested retail: $898

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